Page 11 - india

ur trusted Indian driv-
er expertly navigated
the twisty road taking
u
s
O toward the final
destination on our 17-day fall odys-
sey through India and Nepal. After
experiencing such wonders as the Hi-
malayas at dawn and the Taj Mahjal,
our stop in the small town of Pushkar
on the edge of the Thar Desert in Ra-
jasthan would likely be anti-climatic.

During any other time of the year, that
may have been the case. But in No-
vember when the moon is just right,
Pushkar hosts an unusual, but notable
fair - one that celebrates camels - lots
of them. Some 200,000 festival goers
from around the world flock here, along
with 50,000 groomed and decorated In-
dian camels sporting an equal number of
humps since this is dromedary country.
Before leaving the nearby city of Ajmer,
we stopped for a few supplies, includ-
ing a small bottle of vodka. Pushkar is a
sacred Hindu town and booze is techni-
cally prohibited. The lack of affordable
and palatable wine in India had changed
our evening happy hour from wine time
into martini time, a mandatory antidote
to India’s insane traffic, noise and scenes
of poverty and suffering.

The drive from Ajmer through the Push-
kar Pass was by most standards scary, but

Gorgeous camels, groomed and decorated, waiting
for a patrons wanting a ride through the dunes of
the Pushkar Camel Fair.

Wine Dine & Travel Spring 2014 11